Method of making records for musical instruments.



.S. S. WATERS.

METHOD OF MAKING RECORDS FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27. 1910.

1,122,826. Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

3141mm toe Jamel J. [dawns Vi/lmcooco 5? 7h ,azzo/w. 1 awww P/Q (Mon-M 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL S. WATERS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO AEOLIAN COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

METHOD OF MAKING RECORDS FOR MUSICAL IN STRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

Application filed .Tune 27. 1910. Serial No. 569,088.

T all whom-it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL S. WATERS,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia,

have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods of Making Records for Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of a method of.

whole depending upon the manner in which it is used.

It has been proposed to play phonographs and pianos in synchronism in accompaniment with each other. A number of difiiculties are found to be present when this is attempted, the chief among which is a variance in musical time of the records of the phonograph and the piano. This is due for the most part to the fact that these records have not been properly, made, or have not been made for use in the instruments which are to reproduce them in accompaniment. In order that the best results be secured in playing records of two instruments in accompaniment, the records should be especially made for this purpose. Otherwise not only will there be slight variance in musical time due to variance in speed of the record elements used and to imperfections in the records themselves, but there will also be a variance due to the fact that the linear dimensions of the records will not bear such a relation to each other that their movement in the respective instruments can be adjusted to cause them to play in any sort of musical time whatsoever.

When phonograph records are prepared simultaneously with piano records by simultaneously acting on the producing devices, the piano sounds, if of the prominence which they should be, impress themselves upon the phonograph element with a resulting impairment of the tone of the voice or other sound record being made on the phonograph record element. This shopld be avoided in all instances if possible, and especially should it be avoided when the phonograph record being made is that of a voice, or when the phonograph record is to be a predominating record of a voice, or of a musical instrument, or of some other sound.

It is the object of my invention to avoid this difficulty and to produce sound records which shall be pure in tone, and records which when played inaccompaniment will give results most closely approaching those attained in the personal performances of professionals.

Upon an understanding of my invention, it will be evident that I have not only accomplished the objects of my invention, but have developed a method possessing most important advantages along other lines, chief among which may be mentioned the fact that by my invention I may produce piano records for use in accompaniment wvith phonograph records already made.

According to the method of my invention, I first make the predominating or phonograph record by operating on a suitable record element in any of the known ways, and thereafter produce the piano record by reproducing the phonograph record and accompanying the same with operation on a device adapted to make the piano record on a blank record element, driving the blank record element at a speed absolutely proportional at all times to the speed of the first record being reproduced and-suited to the requirements of the instrument inavhich it is to be used.

In the drawings I show diagrammatically to be driven at a speed absolutely proporl tional tothe speed at which the record sheet 11 of the piano is driven by being geared to a driving motor 16 supplied with power from' any suitable source as 17 and controlled by formations 18 in the record sheet nism. By this arrangement the two record elements 11 and 15 may be driven at speeds absolutely proportional to each other at all times, and under normal running conditions the speed of the phonograph record is absolutely subject to the speed of the piano record element, the effect of the driving arrangement being entirely the same as that i of a geared connection between the,record elements.

In making the records, the record elements are driven at the proportional speeds by the apparatus just described. Preferably the phonograph has been placed on the other side of a partition 19 from the piano, or in another room. The phonograph record is then made by accompanying the voice or other sound record to be-madeby the piano. By virtue of the phonograph being separated from the piano by partition 19, the sounds of the piano are dampened so that they have no elfect uponthe record element which is receiving the phonograph record. If the separation is not sufficient to dampen the sounds the accompaniment may be played very softly. In some instances, it may be found advantageous to keep the phonograph in the same room with-the piano, and suitably dampen the sounds by playing softly or by other means. If the performers who-have acted to make the phonograph record are skilful this record will have been made in perfect time. I next take this record and fix it, that is, make it a permanent record on the same record element or another record element by any of the well known methods used in the art. Thereafter the record so made is replaced in the phonogra h in the same room with the piano or per crating machine, the two record 'elements are again driven at'the same proportional speeds, and the piano record is made upon the blank sheet 11 by performing upon the piano or perforating machine in accompaniment with a reproduction of the phonograph record. The piano record vsheet 11 is thus perforated in exact musical time with the phonograph record, and thereafter if the two records are placed in a self-playing piano provided with .an automatic phonograph attachment, such as that in my apphcation referred to, the two records reproduce in accompaniment, giving the best and purest tones of the correct relative prominence, and of exact musical time.

Moreover, the piano record having been made inaccompaniment of the phonograph record, the effect of the simultaneous reproduction is most harmonious and natural. In all voice records on the phonograph, when the two records are made in this manner, the piano record always follows the voice record in the most natural manner.

Not only is the method of my invention advantageous for the reasons specified, but it will now be evident that I may make the phonograph record in any ofthe methods now known to the art, instead of according to the first step of my method, and thereafter make the piano record by reproducing. the phonograph record by arrangement giving the phonograph record a speed proportional to a blank piano record, and accompanying the reproduction by playing upon the perforator or other record making device, all as in accordance with the third step of my method.

While I have described my invention in connection with a piano and phonograph, in which connection I find it most eificient at the present time, I desire to have it understood that my invention may be used in the making of the record elements of other "instruments, and this whether the record elements are separate as described herein or connected in some manner as by being placed upon the same sheet.

I desire to cover all modifications of my invention not falling without its generic spirit in the annexed claims.

What I claim is 1..The method of making a perforated music sheet to be used in accompaniment with apreviously prepared phonograph record, which consists in reproducing on a phonograph the sounds represented by the phonograph record and simultaneously with such reproduction synchronously moving with said recorda blank sheet in association wili key-controlled punching instrumenta i mov ment manipulating the controlling keys of the punching instrumentalities to cause the latter to produce in said sheet note perforations harmonizing in musical time, with the sounds reproduced from the phonograph record.

2. The herein above described method of ord of said mechanism, which consists in re:

producing through the 'said mechanism the sounds represented by a given record and simultaneously with such reproduction synchronously moving with said record a blank sheet in cooperative association'with key controlled punching instrumentalities, and

es, and then during such synchronized then during such synchronized movement In testimony whereof have hereunto manually manipulating the controlling keys set my hand in presence of two subscribing of the punchlng instrumentalities to cause witnesses.

the latter to produce in said sheet note per-f SAMUEL SiWATERS. 5 forations harmonizing in musical time with Witnesses:

the sounds reproduced from the Voice rec- HUGH M. STERLING,

0rd. T. P. TARBox. 

